Import Trade Values by Commodity 2024 Overview
Analytical Summary
China’s 2024 import trade remained concentrated in General Trade, which continued to serve as the primary import channel across most commodity groups. Mechanical and electrical products represented the largest import category by value, highlighting sustained demand for advanced manufacturing inputs, industrial machinery, and electronic components. High-tech products also accounted for a significant share of total imports, reinforcing China’s reliance on technology-intensive goods to support industrial upgrading and innovation.
Raw materials and energy commodities—including crude oil, iron ore, coal, and natural gas—continued to form the foundation of China’s import structure. These imports reflect the country’s ongoing need to secure energy supplies and industrial inputs for manufacturing, infrastructure development, and domestic consumption. Agricultural imports, such as soybeans, edible vegetable oils, and grains, also remained essential for ensuring food security and supporting the domestic processing industry.
From a trade-mode perspective, Bonded Logistics played a substantial role in facilitating cross-border supply chains, particularly for high-value manufactured goods, while Processing Trade remained important for export-oriented production despite its smaller share compared with General Trade. Overall, the data illustrates a diversified import portfolio that balances strategic resource acquisition, advanced manufacturing requirements, and consumer demand, underscoring China’s position as one of the world’s largest import markets and a central participant in global supply chains.
Key Metrics (Number + Title)
- 3.63 trillion USD — Total Import Value (selected commodities, all trade modes)
- 1.92 trillion USD — General Trade Import Value (approx. 53% share)
- 920.2 billion USD — Bonded Logistics Import Value (approx. 25% share)
- 985.0 billion USD — Electro-mechanical Products Import Value (largest commodity group)
Major Import Commodities by Trade Mode
| Product | Unit | General Trade | Processing Trade | Bonded Logistics | Other Trade | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Value (USD ’000) | Quantity | Value (USD ’000) | Quantity | Value (USD ’000) | Quantity | Value (USD ’000) | ||
| Agricultural products* | — | — | 189,059,088.851 | — | 7,617,079.297 | — | 16,956,245.458 | — | 1,522,673.895 |
| YoY change | — | -8% | — | -0.6% | — | -7.9% | — | -18.6% | |
| Meat (including offal) | 10,000 tons | 635.697 | 22,368,511.164 | 12.216 | 239,250.473 | 18.051 | 754,401.538 | 0.609 | 17,221.247 |
| YoY change | -9.6% | -15.1% | 10.3% | -12.5% | -18.6% | -15% | -64.3% | -47.3% | |
| Fresh & dried fruits/melons and nuts | 10,000 tons | 754.919 | 17,333,368.405 | 6.447 | 346,711.717 | 28.103 | 1,227,611.233 | 11.658 | 261,509.682 |
| YoY change | 2.8% | 7.6% | 10.5% | 0.1% | 27.1% | 30.7% | -1.8% | 3.9% | |
| Grain | 10,000 tons | 14,488.143 | 64,439,728.594 | 795.053 | 2,603,403.803 | 410.68 | 1,738,623.356 | 58.766 | 238,488.386 |
| YoY change | -2.1% | -15.6% | 17.2% | 0.3% | -21.6% | -23.2% | -50% | -55.2% | |
| Soybeans | 10,000 tons | 9,915.591 | 49,882,292.103 | 254.271 | 1,247,625.881 | 292.627 | 1,424,297.841 | 40.72 | 195,512.826 |
| YoY change | 5.4% | -11.8% | 40.1% | 16.8% | 56.4% | 25.7% | -53% | -55.9% | |
| Edible vegetable oil | 10,000 tons | 649.806 | 6,712,476.025 | 1.978 | 26,673.509 | 62.469 | 661,665.855 | 1.949 | 17,446.952 |
| YoY change | -27.7% | -30% | -7.6% | -8.8% | -17.1% | -13.7% | -17.3% | -29.4% | |
| Iron ores and concentrates | 10,000 tons | 113,462.589 | 121,179,941.68 | 19.148 | 22,744.16 | 9,562.557 | 10,591,206.753 | 610.28 | 426,347.81 |
| YoY change | 3.7% | -3.8% | -71.8% | -75.7% | 26.2% | 18.2% | -21.7% | -19.4% | |
| Copper ores and concentrates | 10,000 tons | 1,546.977 | 37,414,740.784 | 642.847 | 16,282,762.946 | 621.612 | 14,051,220.487 | 0.01 | 161.491 |
| YoY change | -9.7% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 11.3% | 53.5% | 68.4% | -97.6% | -90.7% | |
| Coal and lignite | 10,000 tons | 50,646.083 | 48,692,297.723 | 0.053 | 79.8 | 638.998 | 926,305.405 | 2,984.596 | 2,479,922.115 |
| YoY change | 16.4% | 1% | -98.9% | -98.5% | -22.7% | -35.6% | -3.7% | -27.4% | |
| Crude oil | 10,000 tons | 40,073.096 | 236,275,399.562 | 3,384.593 | 20,104,639.13 | 11,883.851 | 68,418,001.073 | 0 | 1.188 |
| YoY change | -8.5% | -10.5% | 16.6% | 12.2% | 22.5% | 22.6% | -85.3% | -57.8% | |
| Refined oil products | 10,000 tons | 2,055.529 | 13,817,536.203 | 11.474 | 138,949.351 | 2,756.243 | 15,333,172.275 | 0.023 | 1,286.28 |
| YoY change | -13.4% | -9% | 58.5% | 57.4% | 15% | 20.4% | 40.8% | 32.7% | |
| Natural gas | 10,000 tons | 12,639.974 | 62,242,799.242 | — | — | 529.219 | 2,921,668.169 | 0.004 | 22.304 |
| YoY change | 9.1% | 0.6% | — | — | 33% | 16.9% | -99.5% | -99.3% | |
| Rare earths | tons | 89,306.603 | 696,045.919 | 880.327 | 58,024.037 | 1,328.982 | 45,851.823 | 41,415.104 | 751,736.108 |
| YoY change | -13% | -0.9% | 32% | 15.5% | -67.3% | -38.9% | -39.5% | -45.5% | |
| Medicinal materials and medicines | tons | 298,589.763 | 15,127,358.097 | 7,118.504 | 837,772.774 | 86,288.417 | 34,882,171.755 | 9,695.914 | 767,696.123 |
| YoY change | 18.6% | -3% | -5.5% | -13.7% | -8.7% | 1.3% | -67.7% | -0.4% | |
| Fertilizers | 10,000 tons | 1,014.794 | 3,353,661.875 | 0 | 21.033 | 239.624 | 760,783.84 | 156.952 | 454,534.706 |
| YoY change | 15.3% | -10.9% | 286.9% | 268.6% | -18.9% | -42.8% | 17.6% | -1.8% | |
| Beauty, cosmetics, and personal care products | tons | 174,425.528 | 8,241,260.466 | 5,068.24 | 145,004.912 | 142,812.015 | 6,929,459.965 | 2,473.032 | 1,011,075.643 |
| YoY change | -13.6% | -7.4% | -20.2% | -13.8% | -2.6% | -4.4% | -31.7% | -37.6% | |
| Plastics in primary forms | 10,000 tons | 2,276.975 | 33,253,963.733 | 381.493 | 6,297,519.421 | 238.245 | 4,206,517.599 | 1.362 | 41,489.27 |
| YoY change | -2.6% | -4% | 0.2% | -0.6% | -0.5% | -1.4% | -22% | -4.4% | |
| Natural and synthetic rubber (including latex) | 10,000 tons | 434.745 | 7,743,500.486 | 145.034 | 2,581,990.675 | 147.121 | 2,511,155.961 | 3.373 | 28,499.112 |
| YoY change | -3.6% | 15.9% | 1.4% | 20.7% | -25.4% | -11.9% | -13.1% | 23.4% | |
| Logs and sawn timber | 10,000 m³ | 5,868.209 | 12,114,985.578 | 30.704 | 105,440.06 | 36.463 | 91,442.929 | 347.766 | 710,074.345 |
| YoY change | -2.7% | -0.2% | -15.2% | -16.7% | -63.6% | -52.1% | -14.8% | -7.5% | |
| Wood pulp | 10,000 tons | 2,655.373 | 17,343,615.49 | 488.83 | 2,913,822.89 | 290.132 | 2,133,744.662 | 0.516 | 2,758.991 |
| YoY change | -8.1% | -5.8% | 47.9% | 39.9% | -34.8% | -33.9% | -79.5% | -81.1% | |
| Textile yarns, fabrics and articles | — | — | 6,646,509.018 | — | 3,018,775.927 | — | 1,101,619.725 | — | 62,610.204 |
| YoY change | — | -11.2% | — | -4.2% | — | 5.8% | — | 1.1% | |
| Steel products | 10,000 tons | 449.355 | 7,589,137.549 | 201.058 | 2,975,526.37 | 30.332 | 902,065.999 | 0.712 | 40,229.195 |
| YoY change | -15.4% | -13.7% | -1% | 0.9% | 2.1% | -0.9% | 23.3% | 28.8% | |
| Unwrought copper and copper products | tons | 3,498,751.349 | 32,836,435.479 | 690,298.619 | 7,139,999.614 | 1,493,854.629 | 14,100,802.916 | 1,371.992 | 16,012.089 |
| YoY change | 4.9% | 16.2% | 3.7% | 12.5% | 0.8% | 9.5% | -92.6% | -90% | |
| Mechanical & electrical products* | — | — | 424,883,959.798 | — | 282,574,580.491 | — | 267,343,071.378 | — | 10,213,870.988 |
| YoY change | — | 2.9% | — | 4.8% | — | 13.4% | — | 10.1% | |
| Machine tools | units | 50,289 | 5,113,943.602 | 151 | 8,945.555 | 18,065 | 654,292.86 | 1,331 | 81,528.192 |
| YoY change | -6.6% | -11.3% | 32.5% | -33.6% | 2.3% | 8.1% | 8.1% | -43.7% | |
| Automatic data processing equipment and parts | — | — | 26,304,508.809 | — | 11,483,512.402 | — | 41,595,224.33 | — | 255,097.222 |
| YoY change | — | 48.4% | — | 10.6% | — | 88.5% | — | 3.8% | |
| Diodes and similar semiconductor devices | 100 million units | 1,930.052 | 10,512,338.773 | 1,919.229 | 6,467,180.805 | 1,237.282 | 6,518,391.695 | 4.324 | 55,312.757 |
| YoY change | 23.9% | 4.4% | 1.8% | -2.5% | 14.1% | -3.9% | 20.4% | 8.8% | |
| Integrated circuits | 100 million units | 2,426.758 | 108,546,433.361 | 2,199.741 | 148,974,470.974 | 854.195 | 127,480,075.028 | 11.083 | 643,965.473 |
| YoY change | 21.8% | 13% | 8.3% | 7.9% | 12.8% | 11.4% | -3.6% | -0.1% | |
| Motor vehicles (including chassis) | 10,000 vehicles | 59.146 | 30,581,507.704 | 0.157 | 127,566.983 | 11.103 | 8,445,720.291 | 0.096 | 36,969.888 |
| YoY change | -10% | -16.8% | 36.2% | 40.1% | -20.5% | -17% | -17.1% | -17.8% | |
| Auto parts | — | — | 23,294,530.97 | — | 2,236,185.818 | — | 1,384,579.795 | — | 57,998.306 |
| YoY change | — | -0.5% | — | -15.3% | — | 2.2% | — | 27.1% | |
| Aircraft with empty weight > 2 tons | aircraft | 25 | 1,051,291.997 | 14 | 1,774,306.641 | 107 | 5,836,357.061 | 12 | 520,254.825 |
| YoY change | -39% | -52.2% | 100% | 123.5% | 15.1% | 14.1% | 140% | 315.9% | |
| LCD flat panel display modules | 10,000 units | 59,198.942 | 1,829,758.299 | 62,660.458 | 9,252,672.366 | 7,572.488 | 1,392,258.545 | 16.045 | 15,159.335 |
| YoY change | — | -2.8% | — | 12.4% | — | -21.6% | — | 41.1% | |
| Medical instruments and apparatus | — | — | 4,707,668.222 | — | 279,586.778 | — | 7,500,123.673 | — | 33,454.198 |
| YoY change | — | -22.4% | — | -6.9% | — | 1.7% | — | 6% | |
| High-tech products* | — | — | 273,458,287.39 | — | 222,417,948.179 | — | 249,363,579.544 | — | 7,743,173.519 |
| YoY change | — | 10.1% | — | 4.6% | — | 17.5% | — | 14.6% | |
Notes:
1) Shaded entries indicate the cumulative year-on-year comparison vs the same period last year.
2) “Processing Trade” refers to the sum of “Processing with supplied materials” and “Processing with imported materials” (Table 5; same below). “Bonded Logistics” includes “Goods entering/leaving bonded customs supervision sites” and “Logistics goods in special customs supervision areas.” “Other Trade” is the total of all trade modes not listed above.
3) Product items are consistent with the key imported commodities table in the Customs Statistics Bulletin. For HS code coverage, see the “Statistics” section of China Customs (www.customs.gov.cn).
